


Wishing For The Stars

by jqueen17



Category: Phan
Genre: AU, Feels, Fluff, M/M, Prince!Phil, Servant!Dan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-22
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-05-22 16:51:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6087325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jqueen17/pseuds/jqueen17
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Prince!Phil Servant!Dan AU that was a lot of fun to write and has a lot of fluff in it:)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wishing For The Stars

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fic of this type that I've written, but it was a lot of fun to write and I hope you all enjoy it:)

Phil   
Life as it I knew it was mundane as anything I had ever witnessed before. Watching grass grow? More interesting than my life. Star gazing? Better, but then I had been banned from the roof, because the oh-so-important prince of London couldn't be endangered. So I lived, day by day, in absolute boredom.  
It sounded childish, but ever since I had almost been shot by an assassin last summer, my parents hadn't allowed me to even step foot outside of the grounds. When you spent so many months without any human contact besides the passive guards and royal families that visited, you began to crave any companionship at all.   
Well, not ANY, I suppose; my parents did allow certain children of royal families to spend the day with me. Girls and boys, all of equal dullness and royalty that made me hate my inheritance. I wanted someone real, someone who I could have a meaningful conversation with about anything besides the life of princesses and princes.  
I was wandering the halls one day when I thought maybe running could keep my mind off of my boredom. So after I checked my schedule and made sure no one was visiting today, and that my parents had left for a meeting, I took off. The halls in our palace were long and winding, so I had lots of free space. It was distracting, if exhausting, and I was going pretty fast when I hit what felt like a brick wall out of nowhere. My head spun, and when I could focus on my surroundings again, I saw that I was on the floor next to another person, who I must've ran into.  
'Oh great, I'd never hear the end of this. It’s probably a guard that I've already upset before, like Thomas, and-'  
“What the hell are you running from, mate?”  
I looked up quickly, not recognizing the voice. The face that it belonged to took my breath away with its beauty, and I was stunned into silence until his face changed from irritated to apologetic.  
“Oh, your majesty. I apologize for my rudeness-”  
I interrupted him, studying his face. “No, no, you're fine. Who are you?”  
He blinked a few times, cheeks slightly darker than before he'd identified me.  
“I was hired as the new food servant today.”  
He seemed ashamed of his title, so I smiled, standing and pulling him to his feet.  
“What's your name?” I asked softly, and he looked at my smile and returned it hesitantly.  
“Daniel. But you can call me Dan. Your majesty.”  
He bowed slightly at the last part, and I suppressed an eye roll. “Nice to meet you, Dan. Call me Phil.”  
He smiled again, a small dimple appearing in his right cheek. We heard a yell from inside the kitchen, where Dan must have been working.  
“Um,” he started, but I held up a hand, smiling at him reassuringly.  
“I'll see you soon, then?”  
He nodded, bowing quickly before nearly jogging to the kitchen. I couldn't quit thinking about him all day, whether it was because I'd never seen him before or because he had an air of endearance about him I didn't know. Either way, I liked the thought of him.  
Despite everything in my family, the one thing I did enjoy was my mother's insistence of “family meals”. This consisted of my parents, my brother, and myself, and was the most relaxed time of the day. Martyn-my brother-never stopped talking, so that left me to my thoughts. I was usually reserved and quiet, listening to my brother's crazy stories. I got that from him; my magnet-like attraction for insane scenarios. Except tonight, I was distracted by the new addition to our wait staff.  
Dan looked positively dashing in his uniform, serving the food around the table with practiced ease. I could feel someone’s eyes on me, but they weren't Dan's-I was looking at him. He seemed to be avoiding my gaze, and I understood-we weren't supposed to associate ourselves with our servants.  
I swept my face over everyone in the room once, and only Martyn had been looking at me. Well, that was fine-he wasn't one to scold me for staring at servants. After my parents had caught him with Daphne two years ago, he stopped chewing me out for the little things I did. Like sneaking up to the roof, or running down the halls like a child.  
But something different was in his stare tonight, and I waved it off as paranoia. I hadn't even spoken to Dan but once, so I wouldn't be lying to Martyn if he asked if something was going on between us.  
I did catch Dan watching me once, on the way out of the dining hall, and his lips twitched up in a smirk before he rounded the corner, disappearing from view. I wandered the halls long after dinner, trying to catch him on his way to another room, with no luck. I went to my room, feeling dejected, before an idea made me feel silly for my previous quest. The new servants always got the most difficult, tedious jobs, which included bringing any wanted food to people around the palace. All I had to do was give my order into the telephone, and a little while later, I heard a knock on the door.  
“Come in!” I called, and there was Dan, balancing a tray on one hand and opening the door with the other. His eyebrows went up in surprise when he saw me, before dissolving into humour.  
“Well, hello again.”  
I grinned. “You can stay here a minute, if you want,” I said carefully, and Dan looked hesitant.  
“They really warned me against that…I’d need a pretty good reason.”  
I thought for a second, eventually standing up and walking past Dan, “accidentally” hitting the tray in his hand and sending it, and it's contents, clattering to the floor. Dan's eyes were sparkling as he knelt to “clean” the mess, and I closed the door, walking back over to my window seat.  
“My bad.”  
Dan shook his head, still grinning as he cleaned the silverware up first. “You're a clever little shit, aren't you?”  
Almost immediately after he spoke, his face took on a worried look, and I waved his worry off with a flick of my hand.  
“You can curse. Also, please stop bowing to me and calling me ‘your majesty’. I hate when people my age do that; it makes them seem more like peasants and less like…”  
“Friends?” Dan suggested, and I nodded, smiling sheepishly.  
“So am I your friend, Phil?”  
I glanced up, and Dan had a devious smirk on his face, still cleaning the contents of the platter from the floor.  
“Yes, Dan. I think you are.”

Dan   
I got a minor lecture on clumsiness from my boss after my brief talk with Phil-”He’s the prince, Dan. Show some respect”-but it wasn't a big deal. I was good at sucking up to higher officials, and it didn't hurt anything that my face was one of those trusting, innocent ones. It hid my devious nature, like a disguise, letting me get away with all kinds of things.  
Like sneaking up to the roof of a palace.  
I'd told Alise-the head of the wait staff-that I was feeling slightly ill, and needed some air. She waved me off, telling me not to contaminate the food and whatnot. So I'd found a back staircase, jimmied the lock, and here I was, lying on my back and looking at the stars. I loved the stars; I used to want to be an astronomer, before I'd realized dreams are childish things,made of hopes and wishes and ambition. I didn't have any of those any more; I did what my parents told me to, trying to help support my family in any way that I could. So scoring a job as a royal waiter? Pretty okay job, by my standards.  
But that didn't mean I didn't want things in life. I just didn't hope for them; the less I expected, the less I'd be inevitably disappointed later. It was an endless, awful cycle, and now that I'd begun thinking about where I'd be in ten years, I realized I was having an existential crisis. Fantastic.  
I rolled over onto my stomach, face pressed against the roof, and tried to tear myself out of this misery. What was the purpose of my existence on this planet. What was I meant to do. Why am I even here, when in the end it won't matter anyway.  
I hadn't even heard the roof door opening and closing, and the rapidly-familiar voice of the prince rang over me.  
“What are you doing?”  
I kept my face pressed to the roof, partly in effort to cover my blush and partly because I couldn't find a good motivator to sit up.  
“Having an existential crisis.”  
Phil said nothing, and a moment later, I felt him lay next to me. I turned my head to the side, and he was on his back, arms folded under his head, staring up at the sky.  
“You really don't have to stay if you don't want to. Don't waste your time.”  
A small smiled appeared on his face, but he still didn't look at me, eyes flicking from star to star.   
“I come up here anyways. And I'll lay with you until you feel better.”  
I watched him as he watched the stars, and while they captivated his attention, he captivated mine. He really was beautiful, in a way no other person had ever looked to me before. He had raven hair and ivory skin and cerulean eyes, as ever-changing as the Caribbean. He was tall and lean and attractive, a perfect prince. And yet, I knew he was more. There was more to him than I knew, and I promised myself I would find out.  
“Phil?”  
His eyes landed on me, warm and cool at the same time.  
“Do you like being a prince?”  
“No.”  
His immediate answer caught me off guard, and he looked at me expectantly, waiting to hear why I'd asked.  
“Why?”  
Phil mulled it over, not seeming to have a definite answer. I rolled onto my side, facing him, and he searched my face as if looking for an answer.  
“I...it's boring. I'm powerless. I can't choose to do anything, and when I do, I'm wrong and it affects others and it's awful. My choice are analyzed and studied and if they aren't perfect I'm scolded. It's-I just-I hate it!”  
Phil didn't seem like the type of person who yelled a lot, and so when he did, I flinched, causing him to look apologetic immediately.  
“Oh, God, I'm sorry. You didn't need to…”  
I put my hand over his, which was resting on the patch of roof between us.  
“I wanted to. I asked, and I'm not one if those people who ask out of politeness. I ask because I care.”  
Phil's eyes were glistening in the darkness, and his voice was soft and rough when he spoke again.  
“What about you, Dan? What's your story?”  
I sucked in a sharp breath, panicking. I knew he'd ask eventually, but I didn't want to tell him. He wouldn't like me anymore-no one did when they really knew who I was-so I looked him right in the eye, and right as I was about to lie out my ass, Phil interrupted me.  
“And don't lie,” he added softly, and my defenses shattered to pieces. Phil and I simply looked at each other for a long time, and in that time, I thought about nothing but him. It was peaceful, and there were so few times in my life that I thought myself as content.  
I wasn't sure how much time had passed when Phil spoke, but he whispered this time, not breaking the comfortable blanket of silence and darkness we were under.  
“Dan, have you ever been in love?”  
I blinked at him, and without consciously allowing myself to, I thought, 'I think I am now'. If anything would ruin a friendship, especially a new one, those words would. But Phil simply smiled at my silence, taking it as I didn't know, squeezing my hand with his.  
“I know exactly how you feel.”  
'If only', I thought, and that's when I realized that I was quickly, inevitably, falling for the prince.  
I sat up abruptly, surprising Phil.  
“I'm still on duty, technically. If I don't see you...will you be here tomorrow?”  
I hated the hope in my voice with a passion, but it made Phil smile, nodding.  
“If I don't get caught. They say it's dangerous up here.”  
I couldn't agree more.  
Chuckling, I waved at him nonchalantly before nearly running down the stairs. My head were spinning and my thoughts were distracting me all night and I broke two plates before Alise told me to take the night off.  
'You can't fall in love with the prince, Dan. Are you mad? Of all the things to hope for, of all the things to wish for…'  
'You're wishing for the stars.'

Phil   
I stayed on the roof for way too long, pushing my luck and hoping Dan would come back. He didn't, and eventually I gave up and returned inside. I had just rounded the corner of the staircase when I collided with someone for the second time that day, luckily not moving fast enough this time to knock the other person over.  
Unfortunately for me, since the other person happened to be my brother.  
“You're going to fall off that roof one day, Phil.”  
I rolled my eyes, marching past him to my room.   
“Martyn, I'm not stupid. I know how to not fall off a roof.”  
Following me into my room, Martyn squinted at me, sizing me up with his wise, intelligent eyes.  
“What are you up to, little brother?”  
I collapsed face-first onto my bed, groaning at the question.  
“Nothing. For the last time.”  
Martyn clearly didn't believe me, but left me alone after that, huffing as he shut the door behind him. I rolled over, staring up at my ceiling and wishing I could paint. If I could, I'd paint galaxies and flowers and words and everything, all above my bed, so I'd never be bored no matter where I looked. I'd paint anything and everything, especially the most beautiful things I saw.  
I'd paint Dan.

I didn't sleep well the night, telling my mother I didn't feel well and ordering breakfast up to my room. I'd forgotten Dan had the honor of bringing the food up, and I didn't remember until I heard three short raps on the door and he stuck his head in, smiling mischievously.   
“Miss me?”  
I rolled my eyes, gesturing for him to set the food down on my bedside table. I didn't really know what to say, but Dan didn't seem to mind, sitting on the end of the bed and looking around my room curiously.  
“You like plants, I'm guessing.”  
I laughed, since my room was part garden, part bedroom.  
“Just a little bit. You must have something like this, something you're sort of obsessed with?”  
“Stars.”  
Dan barely hesitated, and I nodded, not even surprised. Dan looked like the kind of person who liked space, who was mysterious and wise and galactic. I remembered last night, the way his face had looked illuminated under all those stars, and could feel a blush rising to my cheeks. Dan chose that moment to look at me, and I was trapped under his gaze for a long time, until he abruptly stood, speaking fast and running a hand over his hair.  
“I should go. They'll be wondering where I went.”  
I nodded, calling to him before he closed the door, “Will you be there? Tonight?”  
He paused, his back to me. I could tell something was on his mind, and he sounded tired when he mumbled, “Yeah. See you then.” And the door clicked shut and he was gone, just as mysterious as before and even more intriguing. I sighed, closing my eyes and leaning back onto the pillows surrounding my head.   
'He wouldn't like you, Phil. You're royalty. Snobbish. Your family would hate him. They would hate you for your attraction to him.'  
'You're attracted to him.'  
My eyes popped open, and I began freaking out a little. I'd never had a crush on anyone, in my entire life, as ridiculous as that sounded. I'd never had a reason to like anyone-they were all the same. But was I really...gay? I honestly didn't have a problem with it, but my parents...Martyn...wouldn’t be as open minded. They would tell me I was wrong. They would fire Dan, never let me see him…  
I swore I wouldn't get caught. 'For Dan's sake', I told myself. 'You'll be careful.'  
Let’s just say I wasn't exactly great at being careful.

The day passed by slowly, but it was eventually dark outside and I headed to the roof. Dan wasn't up there yet, so I unlocked the door and walked over to the railing at the edge of the roof, looking out over the villages surrounding our palace. I wondered where Dan lived, if he was wealthy or poor, and realized I didn't care. He could be homeless and it wouldn't make how I felt any different. I wondered if he'd tell me anything about his personal life, or if I would have to ask, and then I wondered if he would even tell me then. What made me think Dan liked me as much as I liked him? He probably had a girlfriend or boyfriend already and I was so self-absorbed that I-  
The door opened behind me, and I turned around, expecting to see Dan and definitely not my brother. I felt a buzz of fear go through me, because I should have known Martyn would catch me up here eventually.  
“Phil, we've talked about you being up here. What is so appealing about disobeying?”  
Anger flashed through me, and I snapped, “Well if I had any sort of control over my own life I wouldn't need to break pointless rules.”  
Martyn shook his head, walking over to stand beside me. I thought he would tell me to go inside, but he didn't, simply looking out over our kingdom in silence. After a few minutes had gone by, I began to relax, knowing Martyn wouldn't tell our parents. He honestly wasn't that bad of a brother, just a little overprotective.  
However, when I heard the door open again, I considered hurling myself off the roof for real. Dan stood there, looking at us-me-with confusion. I blurted out words before my mind had made the conscious decision to do so, and I desperately wished I hadn't.  
“What are you doing out here? Aren't you supposed to be working?”  
Dan opened his mouth and closed it again, some emotion in his eyes that I couldn't identify. He bowed deeply, almost sarcastically, mumbling before backing up, “My bad, your majesty. It won't happen again.” His tone was biting, making me flinch, as did the door banging shut behind him. I looked back out over the houses, feeling Martyn watching me.  
“Is something wrong?”  
His voice was surprisingly concerned, and I immediately shook my head, not looking at him. After a few moments of expected silence on Martyn’s part, I sighed.  
“Please don't make me stop coming up here. It's the only time I get to myself, and it's just...please, Martyn.”  
Whether it was my tone or my words, I didn't know, but Martyn put one arm over my shoulder, hugging me briefly before heading towards the door.  
“Phil?”  
I turned around, and Martyn smiled grimly. “Just be careful.”  
I nodded, and he was gone. I let a few minutes pass before nearly running inside, going to find Dan. I knew I'd upset him, and I was sorry, and I wanted him to know it. I went straight to my room, but before I could call for some sort of food, I heard three knocks and threw the door open to see Dan, looking disheveled and handsome, his face blank.  
“Hi,” I said hesitantly, backing up so he could come in. He did, closing the door behind him and leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. I waited for him to say something, but he didn't, his mouth set in a firm line. I didn't blame him, so I started talking, rambling and apologizing and trying to change the look in his eyes.  
“I'm really sorry, Dan. That was my brother Martyn and if he knew I talked to you-he’s had a history with this sort of situation and he's really cautious and he'd fire you, I know he would, even if we were just talking. And I don't want you to get punished for my family being so uptight, and I'm just...sorry.”  
Dan nodded, taking everything I said into consideration as he studied me. Eventually he walked over to sit beside me on the edge of the bed, sighing.  
“Why are people so complicated?”  
I shrugged, understanding his exasperation. Dan was silent with his thoughts, but I couldn't stand silence, so I decide to just go ahead and ask what was on my mind.  
“Dan, what is your life like? At home, I mean.”  
I felt him tense up next to me, and I put my hand on his that was resting on his knee, smiling at him as he glanced at me in question. After a moment he gave a small nod, sucking in a deep breath before speaking in a rush.  
“I'm dirt poor, but you've probably guessed that. I have a little sister and my parents, and we live on the edge if the kingdom, in the forest basically. I can never see the sky through all the trees. And I try so hard to work and support everyone, but I don't know how much more I can take before I-”  
I turned to Dan, and his face looked so pained that I leaned forward, pressing my lips to his. I had to erase that look of tragedy; I couldn't stand it, couldn't stand the note of panic in his voice. When he didn't protest, I pushed him all the way back onto the bed, and we lay there for an unending moment, lips pressed together desperately. When neither of us had breathed in awhile, I rolled onto my back beside him, gasping for air. We were silent for a few moments, and Dan spoke first this time, sounding breathless.  
“I like you, Phil. A lot.”  
I got the feeling that it took a lot in Dan to admit that, so I smiled, intertwining my fingers with his.  
“I like you too, Dan.”  
We would have been content to lie there for hours, but Dan inevitably had to leave, making me frown.  
“What are you doing at three?”  
Eyebrows furrowed, Dan shrugged. “Working, I guess.”  
I smiled, shaking my head. “Three AM?”  
Dan blinked a few times, seeming surprised. Eventually a small smile spread across his face, and his eyes were sparkling when he answered.  
“Sleeping. Like everyone else.”  
I nodded, glad he understood my humour. “Well, I guess no one will be on the roof tonight. What a shame.”  
He grinned at me before he left, closing the door quietly and leaving me to think 'what have I gotten us into?'

Dan  
How did I end up in the most conflicting situations one could possibly be in? Who ended up with a prince? In the real world, no one. Including me. And yet, here I was, sneaking out of the kitchen at ten till three and wondering what would happen when someone eventually caught us. It was bound to happen; Phil was royalty, after all. And here I was, meeting him on the bloody roof of a palace when neither of us were supposed to be anywhere near each other, let alone laying down with our legs tangled together, staring at the stars.  
“What do you like to do?” Phil asked randomly, and I inferred that he didn’t care about randomness whatsoever. I simply answered all his questions, counting stars.  
“Paint. Play the piano. Decorate.”  
“Decorate?”  
Phil’s voice had a hint of amusement in it, and I smiled, nudging his leg with my foot.  
“Yes, decorating. What about yourself?”  
He didn’t respond for a moment, and I turned my head to the side, looking at the perfect angles of his cheekbone and jaw. He was so perfect it was almost painful to look at him; like looking at the sun.  
“I like to try new things. Like food. Or just random activities, like drawing and playing instruments and travelling. Even though I don’t usually get the chance to. You see, I get bored very easily.”  
“Are you bored now?” I asked softly, and Phil turned to look at me as well, smiling just as softly as I’d spoken.  
“Not at all.”  
We lay in silence for another brief period of time before I stood, getting an idea.  
“You like excitement, yeah? Danger?”  
Phil’s eyes immediately lit up, making my heart beat faster. I walked over to the edge of the roof, and he sat up, watching me. There was a three foot rail that surrounded the roof, set on a stone barrier that was about a foot tall. So, four feet in all, making the roof ‘safer’, I supposed. I grabbed the rail, stepping up onto the stone, and swinging one leg over the railing, ended up on the other side of it, with nothing between me and the steep slope of the rest of the roof.  
“Dan! What are you doing, you’re going to fall!”  
I turned myself carefully around, grinning at Phil. “No I won’t. I have a hold of the rail, see?”  
Phil looked at my hands, clenched in fists around the rail, and seemed to relax slightly. He walked over to me, until he could sit down and touch my hand, still on the flat part of the roof. I sat as well, digging my feet into the roof so I wouldn’t slide, and leaned back against the barrier and rail. Phil began messing with my hair, and we sat there, content in our silence. I knew he was deciding whether he should join me on the other side of the roof, and eventually I heard him huff out a sigh, standing.  
“If I fall…”  
“You won’t. Give me your hand.”  
He did as I said, and very slowly and cautiously, ended up sat next to me. His eyes were wide with fear and excitement, and I grinned at him, not believing anyone could look that radiant.  
“So? Does this suffice as ‘new’, your majesty?”  
He gave me a half-hearted glare, unable to suppress his smile. “Yes, Dan. Thank you.”  
We stayed on the roof all night, watching the sunrise, and I could tell Phil was getting sleepy by his periodic yawns and generally dreary face. When his eyes started to droop, I helped him over the rail again, landing beside him a moment later. We returned inside the palace, hiding in the stairwell until we were sure no one was awake yet.  
“Will I see you tonight?” Phil asked sleepily. I hugged him to my chest, murmuring against his hair.  
“Definitely.”  
We parted ways, and I made my way to the kitchen, planning on taking a nap before I had to begin work. Unfortunately, Alise was already there, and thinking I’d shown up early, put me straight to work. I sighed, beginning to set out the breakfast dishes. I guess I’d have to deal with my exhaustion.  
It was worth it, I thought. And it definitely was.  
Around lunch I started rethinking things. I was stumbling into people and dropping things and being an overall mess, and Alise wasn't amused or tolerant.  
“Daniel, get ahold of yourself,” she burst out right before dinner. Dinner was the only meal we we required to be present during, and she wasn't about to have me walk into the Queen herself, or something.  
“I don't know what your talking about,” I mumbled, trying to focus on peeling potatoes. It took all of my attention, and Alise tapped her foot until I looked at her.  
“You need to stop wasting time doing whatever you do in your free time and start sleeping. You're not getting paid to stumble around like a zombie, and-”  
“SHIT!”  
I'd somehow managed to slice my hand open with the knife, and it had cut deep. I was so tired the blood captivated me, looking so dark and stunning against my pale hand. When Alise took it and began cleaning it with a rag, I snapped out of my trance, watching her. It stung, a lot, but I gritted my teeth through the pain until she had bandaged it. Looking at me with concern in her eyes, she spoke softly and soothingly, making me sleepy.  
“Are you alright? Did you sleep at all last night?”  
I shook my head, and she pursed her lips in disapproval.  
“You need sleep. Sit dinner out; take a nap in the office.”  
I nodded, thanking her and doing exactly as she said. I was too exhausted to protest, and as I lay down on the couch, I drifted into a deep sleep almost immediately.

Phil   
I walked into dinner to my family having a very heated discussion with each other, and I slipped quietly into my place at the table without anyone looking up.  
“The security is still being threatened,” my mother was saying, and my brother rolled his eyes.  
“It's not, if you think about it. Not any more than it normally is.”  
They went on, and I scanned the line of servants as they walked in for Dan. When he didn't come in, I became slightly alarmed, checking to see if I had missed him. Once again I felt Martyn studying me, but I didn't care, standing and excusing myself before I nearly ran to the kitchen.  
It was eerily quiet when I slipped through the door, and I tried to logically think where Dan would be if he wasn't in the kitchen. My first thought was the roof, but he would have let me know…  
And it suddenly dawned on me that he hadn't slept, while I had. I made my way to the room in the back, and sure enough, there Dan was, snoring softly on the couch. He looked so uncomfortable that I shook his shoulder, and he jumped, looking around in alarm.  
“Hey,” I said quietly, and he looked at me in confusion, prompting me to explain. “Come on, you can sleep in my room. Everyone's at dinner.”  
He nodded, blearily following me to my room. He nearly collapsed on the bed when we got there, face-first, and I sat beside him, gently running a hand through his hair and over his back.  
“You can sleep for as long as you want, Dan.”  
A few moments later his snores started up again, and I smiled at his sleeping figure. His head was turned to the side, his lips slightly parted, completely relaxed. I thought he looked younger somehow, more innocent, and my heart squeezed as I realized I was the reason he hadn't slept in almost two days.  
My head snapped up as I heard my door open, and there stood Martyn, looking incredulously at Dan and then back to me. He didn't look all that surprised, to my amazement, and when he met my stare, his eyes were burning with anger.  
“I knew it. What are you-”  
I put my finger to my lips, gesturing to Dan and glaring at him defiantly when he looked as if he wanted to laugh. I motioned for him to follow me into the bathroom, and as soon as I'd shut the door behind us, he started talking.  
“Phil, do you not remember what happened the last time something like this happened? You're hurting him, you know that, don't you? When he gets fired it'll be your fault and you'll feel awful.”  
I shook my head at his words, knowing they were true but not giving a damn in the world.  
“Martyn, listen. I think I love him.”  
He blinked at me, whatever he was going to say turning into, “You what?”  
I nodded, holding my head high and not backing down. If he thought he was going to guilt me out of seeing Dan, he was dead wrong.  
“Phil, you can't love him. He's a servant. A commoner. A guy.”  
I shrugged it all off, already having thought all of those things to myself. “You're not controlling my life. I don't care what you say to mom and dad, either. I'll run away. And how will that look? Worse than having a secret relationship, I can promise you that.”  
Martyn knew I was right; I could see the defeat in his eyes. But he still looked hesitant, and I smirked at him when he sighed, giving up.  
“Fine. I won't tell. But I also won't defend you when the two of you get caught.”  
“I defended you.”  
He winced. “Yes, but it was different. I'm trying to help you now, and you're not listening.”  
I opened the door just a crack, ignoring Martyn and making sure Dan was still sleeping. I smiled at his disheveled hair, closing the door and looking back to my brother. He seemed puzzled by the expression on my face, and I raised my eyebrows, telling him to go ahead.  
“Do you really love him?”  
I nodded, believing it with all my heart. Martyn snorted, shaking his head in disbelief, and I followed him to my door. Before he closed it behind him, he looked at Dan, shaking his head and mumbling, “He's cute, I'll give you that.”  
I grinned before the door clicked shut, and I made sure to lock it this time. When I laid down beside Dan, he muttered something in his sleep, rolling over and draping his arm over my waist. I smiled, closing my eyes as well, and I'd just begun to drift off when Dan startled awake, looking at me with the same alarm as before.  
“What time is it?”  
I checked the clock on the wall. “Ten thirty,” I said, and Dan bolted upright, running a hand through his hair and muttering about someone named Alise and getting home.  
“Dan, you're fine. Dinner started late today; they're all probably still in the dining room.”  
He nodded, sitting back down and relaxing a little. I sat up as well, leaning my head on his shoulder.  
“My brother knows about us.”  
Dan tensed up again, beginning to panic, and I squeezed his hand in reassurance.  
“He's not going to rat us out, I promise. He's had his history with this sort of thing.”  
Dan nodded, still seeming dubious, and I pulled him back onto the bed, turning and kissing his shoulder. I did that for a few moments before moving up to his neck, and he recoiled back, shaking his head.  
“Not my neck, please. I don't like it when people touch my neck.”  
I propped myself up on one arm, confused. “How come?”  
Pain flashed through Dan's eyes, and I kissed his lips briefly before he answered, quietly and carefully.  
“I was almost hanged, once. I know, it sounds crazy, but some friends and I got drunk and we were playing a game and somehow I ended up on the business end of a noose, and I just...my neck has been really sensitive ever since.”  
I nodded, looking at his neck and seeing a few marks that looked like faded scars. Dan saw me looking, and wouldn't meet my eyes after he spoke. He looked so self conscious that I had to say something, and I didn't even think before speaking.  
“I won't hurt you, Dan. I promise, if at any time I hurt you, tell me to stop and I will.”  
Dan nodded, still looking uncomfortable.  
“Can I?” I asked softly, and he nodded, leaning back. His eyes fluttered closed as my lips brushed his neck, and he visibly relaxed as I peppered kisses along it and his jaw. After awhile he sighed contentedly, sitting up and pulling me with him.  
“I really do need to go home, at least for tonight.”  
“I could come with you.”  
Dan looked up at my suggested, seeming hesitant.  
“You'll get in so much trouble, Phil, and my family…”  
“I want to meet them.”  
He looked at me for a long moment before nodding, smiling slightly. I had never been more thankful that my room as on the first floor, since that made sneaking out the window a lot easier. I knew where a gap in the hedge and fence that surrounded the grounds were, so I led the way, at least until we hit the road. And then Dan took the lead, and we walked. It took us about an hour to reach his home, and before we rounded the last bend he stopped me, looking uneasy.  
“I don't know what they'll think of you. I hope they like you, but...if they don't please don't be offended?”  
I nodded, smiling and taking his hand, guiding us around the corner.  
His house was small, but nice and homey, smoke billowing out of chimney and warm light coming from the windows. Dan stopped us again at the front door, clearly rethinking this plan. But one look at me and he nodded to himself, letting us into the house.  
I was behind him, so I didn't see what hit him at full force until he laughed, hitching a little girl up and onto his hip. He was laughing and she was squealing about how she thought aliens had abducted him, and then his parents were there, hugging him at the same time and scolding him for not coming home last night. The little girl-his sister-was the first one that noticed me, and I looked down at my shoes as she asked, “Danny, who's your friend?”  
And then everyone turned to me at once, and I blushed as Dan said, “Well, Cass, this is Phil. He's the prince.”  
His mother sucked in a shocked breath as she recognized me, and I glanced up and smile at her before looking back down at my shoes. A few moments of silence went by until Cass-short for Cassidy, I guessed-hopped down off of Dan and stuck her hand out to me.  
“Hi, Phil. Nice to meet you. I'm Cassidy, but I want a nickname so call me Cass.”  
I laughed, shaking her little hand and smiling. “Nice to meet you too, Cass. I know how you feel about the nickname thing-my real name is Philip and it's awful.”  
Cass’ introduction seemed to loosen everyone up, and Dan's father approached me next, shaking my head and quietly saying, “Your Highness,” before stepping aside so his wife could smile at me, giving me a curtsey.  
“Please, ma'am, you don't have to do that. This is your home, please don't make yourself uncomfortable.”  
She nodded, smiling warmly at me and taking my hand in hers.  
“It's an honor to have you here, Prin-Phil.”  
I smiled as well, and Dan broke up the formalities by saying, “So, is dinner a thing? Cause I'm starving.”  
Cass insisted on making my plate, and when we had all sat down and started eating, she was the center of conversation. I liked her immediately-she was sweet and funny and lively and adorable, and the way she worshipped Dan was borderline hilarious.  
“So is Phil your boyfriend?” she asked at one point, causing her mother to shoot her a look and hiss, “Cassidy”, in alarm. But Dan just smiled, reaching down to hold my hand and nodding.  
“Yep, Cass, he sure is.”  
His mother and father both looked surprised, but neither seemed particularly upset. Which I was relieved about. Cass looked troubled, however, and being a child, kept asking questions.  
“But shouldn't you have a girlfriend, since you're a boy?”  
Once again, Dan's mother looked shocked, but Dan waved her off, quietly saying, “I've got this, mom,” before answering Cass.  
“Well, I could if I wanted to. But I like Phil. I don't have to like girls, just because I'm a boy. I don't have to like anyone. If you like boys, awesome. If you like girls, awesome. If you don’t like anyone, guess what? Awesome. It doesn't matter who you like; everyone is still a person.”  
Cass nodded, and Dan's parents were smiling, and I was impressed by Dan's totally calm explanation of things.  
“Can you like both?”  
Everyone looked at Cass again, and Dan took her question just as coolly as before.  
“Sure you can. You don't even have to like either. It's just up to you.”  
“So it's okay if I like girls?”  
Dan's parents looked slightly alarmed, but Dan didn't, simply nodding at Cass. “Do you?”  
She thought about it, considering it a lot for a child who could only be about six. She eventually shook her head, furrowing her eyebrows.  
“I don't think so. I think I like this boy named Stewart at school. Is that okay?”  
Dan laughed, reaching over and ruffling his little sister's hair. “That you don't like girls? Absolutely. Boys are awesome. But come on Cass, Stewart? The kid's kind of a little shit, no offense.”  
“Dan,” his mother snapped, and he grinned, ducking his head a little in apology. We ate dinner in a comfortable silence after that, and I insisted on helping wash dishes afterwards. Cass seemed appalled by this, gasping when her mother finally handed me the sponge to wash the plates.  
“Mom! Phil's a prince, you can't make him wash dishes!”  
I laughed, shaking my head at Dan's mom and smiling at Cass. “I want to, Cass; I kind of like doing chores.”  
“I wish Dan did,” his mother mumbled, and Dan called from the dining room, “I heard that, and for the love of Christ, I'm doing it!”  
We all laughed, and after things had settled down a bit and Cass went to bed, Dan led me out to the porch so we could be alone for awhile.  
“See what I mean, about not seeing the sky?”  
I looked up, and sure enough, the majority of the what we could see were tree branches. I understood why Dan liked seeing the sky so much; this was confining, sort of like being smothered.  
“I can still see them,” I said quietly after a minute, and immediately regretted saying anything at all. I was the cheesiest person alive, and if Dan-  
“Where do you see them?”  
I repressed a sigh, mentally punching myself in the face before looking at the ground, muttering, “In your eyes,” and waiting for him to punch me. I honestly wouldn't blame him. But when I finally looked up, Dan was smiling at the canopy above us, not seeming to think my words were cliched to a point of no return. A dimple had appeared in his left cheek, and I leaned over and kissed it quickly before it disappeared, like all of his smiles inevitably did. His smile deepened briefly before he sighed, putting his head in his hands with his palms pressed against his eyes.  
“You know,” he started, thinking something over. “When things are like this-when nothing seems wrong in the world-I think everything will work out. That somehow everyone will end up happy and things won't inevitably explode into chaos. And I think, is it so crazy to hope for things? Isn't that what keeps us going?”  
I knew he wasn't looking for an answer, but I nodded anyways, waiting for him to continue.  
“But I know I'm silly for thinking that. I know I'll be disappointed. And yet, here I am, playing this game and introducing you to my family like I could ever really end up with a prince.”  
I didn't like his bitter tone, so I leaned closer to him, taking one of his hands in mine and running my thumb over his knuckles. “I love you, Dan.”  
“You can't possibly. Don't do that to yourself.”  
I tried my best to reason with him, hoping he would listen and stop talking like this. “I do. I don't care what anyone says, I do, and I will, and no one can stop me. Even if they catch us, I'm almost of age and when I am, they can't dictate my life.”  
Dan was shaking his head against my words, but I could tell he wanted to believe me. When he turned to look at me, there were tears in his eyes and my heart almost broke when I saw that sadness, clear as day, on his face.  
“They won't let us be together,” he whispered, and continued before I could interrupt. “The second they catch us I'll be fired and then what? What will happen to my family?” He gestured inside, and I couldn't help but remember how small dinner had been, how little they actually had despite their positive attitude. Dan was the realist in the family, I could tell. We were silent for a long time before Dan eventually sighed, standing up and offering me a hand to help me up as well.  
“I guess we should probably get you back. They'll go mad if they find you missing.”  
“I want to stay here with you,” I protested immediately, and Dan's smile didn't reach his eyes as he nodded, wanting that too. He looked up, seeing a star through the canopy at the same time I did, and smirked.  
“Make a wish,” he said, somewhat sarcastically. I closed my eyes and did exactly that, and when I opened them again, Dan had his eyes closed to. When he finally opened them, I asked, “So what'd you wish for?”  
“I can't tell you,” he said slyly, but eventually laughed and asked, “You?”  
“I wished for the stars.”  
We said our goodbyes to his family, and right before he closed the for behind us, Cass flew out of her bedroom, but at me this time.  
“You'll come back, right Phil?”  
I smiled, hugging her back and looking Dan straight in the eyes. “Of course I will, Cass.” That seemed to suffice for her, and she turned to Dan, wrapping her little arms around his waist for a long moment before stepping back, punching him square in the stomach. He doubled over in mock-pain, groaning, “What did I do to deserve that?”  
“You better come back home next time,” Cass said gravely, and everyone laughed as she marched back to her room. When Dan and I had finally left the house, worry made it's way back onto Dan's face, and I wished I could do anything to make it disappear. But there was nothing I could do, and as we walked hand in hand back to my palace, sirens started up from a good distance away.  
“Oh no no no,” I started, and Dan's eyes were wide with panic.  
“Is that-?” He asked, and I nodded. We both broke into a full on run, staying beside each other as houses whipped by and the sirens got louder. We were nearly to the grounds when I stopped us, turning and pressing my lips to his forcefully, balling his T-shirt into a fist as I did.  
“I will see you later. I swear. I'll find some way to explain, and you'll come to work and…”  
Something in Dan's expression made me turn around, which I did slowly, dreading what Dan was looking at. I expected an entire guard force to be behind me, and I would have taken that instead of the man who was actually standing there.  
His name was Thomas, and he was the head of the palace guard. He was head for a reason; the man was ruthless, dedicated, and absolutely loyal to the royal family. He was typically the one who told me to stop doing the things I did, telling me to behave appropriately instead of like a peasant.  
He was the one who'd caught Martyn.  
Now he had a sneer on his face, looking between me and Dan and the space between us that didn't exist. He hated me, he really did, and I could tell this pleased him to no extent.  
“Do you understand what is happening right now?”  
I nodded, looking anywhere but at him and wishing this wasn't happening.  
“Where have you been?”  
He knew, it was obvious, so I didn't respond, simply looking at the ground and mentally apologizing for ruining Dan's life.  
“Is he the reason security has been compromised?”  
I did look up then; he was not about to take this out on Dan.  
“No. None of this is his fault. Just let him go.”  
Thomas smirked, sizing Dan up with a look of contempt. “Oh, that won't be a problem. He can most certainly go. He just can't come back.”  
I felt Dan physically flinch, but I couldn’t turn and look at him. Thomas walked forward, grabbing my arm and yanking my forward.  
“Come on, you little brat. You're parents will just love to hear this.”  
“Let him go.”  
We both looked at Dan, who's voice was dark and angry and threatening. At least, it was to me; Thomas simply laughed, digging his fingers into my arm and making me cry out in pain. Dan stepped forward without another word, and I made myself hiss, “Dan, just go. I'll be fine. Please.”  
He shook his head at me, still looking at Thomas. “I'll report you for injuring the prince.”  
Thomas laughed, loud and obnoxious and completely at ease. “Will you, now? And they'll take your word because, what, you're their precious son's little lap dog?”  
Dan lunged at Thomas, and the events that occurred next happened so fast that there was nothing I could do to stop them. Thomas threw me to the ground, pulled something from his pocket, and the next thing I knew Dan was on the ground and his hands were covered in blood. I screamed, and Thomas pulled me up by my hair, dragging me away from Dan's crumpled figure and towards the palace. I eventually stopped screaming-it wasn't doing any good-and told Thomas, “I will kill you. I swear I will.”  
He just laughed and laughed and laughed.

Dan   
I somehow made it home without bleeding out, which was surprising. The guard had pulled a knife on my, and in the random (or not so random) slashing, had hit my shoulder, collarbone, neck, and left side if my face. It burned, burned like fire, and if I hadn't been wearing a jacket that I just to tie around my neck, I would have died for sure.   
I didn't know if I would die or not as I stumbled in the door of my house, my dad catching me before I fell forward from exhaustion. I had never been more thankful that my parents were medics, because neither freaked out and both managed to give me enough stitches and morphine to seal the wound and mask my pain. They got me into bed, and my mom sat with me all night, holding my hand and murmuring words I couldn't remember. When light started shining through the window she left, returning with a steaming bowl of soup and coaxing me to swallow what I could without choking from the pain in my neck. When I was settled and stable enough where I could be left alone, she closed the curtains in my room and I fell into a restless, painful sleep.  
It didn't last as long as I wanted it to, and I woke up to a cold washcloth being pressed against my head.  
“Dan, please wake up,” a voice sniffled, and I forced my eyes open so I could look at Cass. When she saw that I was awake, she threw her arms around my chest, trying her best to be gentle but squeezing me so tight that I gasped despite trying not to. She jumped back, apologizing in a long stream of words and sounds, and when she'd calmed down enough to have a reasonable conversation with, I smiled.  
“Hey, Cassie. I'm okay, it looks worse than it is.”  
She rolled her eyes, sniffling again. “You always say that.”  
I raised an eyebrow, making her laugh because she never could figure out how I did that. Her eyes kept going to my neck, and I wondered how bad it looked.  
“Does it hurt?” she asked hesitantly, and I nodded.  
“Just a little though.”  
She obviously didn't believe me, and after a few minutes of contemplation she asked, “Can I put this washcloth on it? It's cold-will that help?”  
I desperately didn't want her hands anywhere near my neck, but she was trying so hard to help that I smiled, giving her permission. She wet the cloth again, wringing all the water out of it, and gently and cautiously touched it to my neck. I went rigid, not so much with pain as with memory, and she knew and she removed the rag and apologized again and returned to dabbing my cheek with it. My sister was so intuitive, even for a child, and I loved her for it. We stayed in silence for awhile until I began to doze off again, and she kissed my forehead and told me she'd be back later, walking towards the door.  
“Dan?”  
I opened my eyes, struggling to focus on her, and raised my eyebrows for her to continue.  
“Is Phil...okay?”  
I smiled, even though all I wanted to do was cry.  
“He's okay, Cass. You might not see him again, but he's okay.”  
Part of me hoped I'd never see him again. It was dangerous for both of us, and his parents would never allow it. I had been wrong to hope, just like I knew I'd been, and this was a lot worse than even my pessimistic mind had thought it would be.  
But I couldn't help but imagine his lips pressed against my neck, cool and gentle and whisper soft and amazing, and wish he was here. Wish he knew I was okay.   
Because I hadn't even got the chance to tell him I loved him too.

Phil   
I refused to leave my room, so my parents were forced to give me The Lecture there. They looked out of place in my bright coloured bedroom, dressed in fancy royal attire with grim expressions on both their faces.  
“What were you thinking?” my mother started, and I shrugged, staring at the wall behind them.  
“Not only is he a peasant, Phil, he's-” I interrupted my father, my voice cold and emotionless.  
“A guy. I am aware of that.”  
“You simply can't have this reputation as royalty, do you understand that?” my mother asked softly, but I didn't look at her.  
“No.”  
They told me Dan wasn't coming back, that I wasn't leaving, and that if I couldn't pull myself together there would be consequences. But there already had been, and I didn't respond, staring at the wall until they'd given up and left. The one thing I was happy that'd happened was Thomas getting fired. I had marks on my arm that watched his fingerprints, and my parents had exiled him and that was that. Of course, they hadn't listened when I told them what he'd done to Dan, but what had I expected?   
After everyone had gone to bed I snuck out to the roof, easily jimmying the lock and wondering why no one bothered to guard it. Anyone could fall off that roof. So I did as I'd seen Dan do, climbing over the railing and sitting with my back against it, facing the world I wished I was a part of. I wondered if Dan had survived; Thomas had clearly done some damage, and I couldn't get the image of the blood in his hands from my mind.  
I heard footsteps behind me, but didn't turn around. I could tell it was Martyn.  
“What are you doing?” he asked quietly, coming to stand right behind me on the flat portion-the safe portion-of the roof.  
“Did someone find Dan's body?”  
Martyn was quiet for so long that I honestly thought he'd say yes, and I imagined myself falling from the roof when he did, the last thing I saw not being my life but the stars in the sky. But Martyn sighed, and I breathed.  
“No, Phil. We had a search party go out too, and he wasn't anywhere that they could find. He made it home.”  
I nodded, glad that if he had died at least he'd seen his family first.  
“What are you going to do?” Martyn asked hesitantly, and I shrugged.  
“What is there to do? I have nothing now and the only thing I did have may be dead.”  
We stayed in an uncomfortable silence until Martyn spoke again, his voice catching.  
“Mom and dad are dead.”  
I turned so fast I almost slipped from the roof, looking at my brother in shock.  
“What? I just saw them a few hours ago!”  
Tears streaming silently down his face, Martyn set his jaw firmly, nodding. “I know. They were shot. That was the ‘security compromise’ we've been talking about for weeks. They caught the assassin, though. But now we have joint rule over the kingdom.”  
I shook my head, trying to speak around the lump in my throat and the tears. “It's yours. You're older.”  
A smile flashed across Martyn’s face, and he nodded. “But I want to share it with you. We both get to enact one new law or decree tomorrow. Mine is free marriage to whomever someone, including royalty in this kingdom, wants. Class distinction nor gender make a difference to me.”  
I somehow ended up back over the rail and hugging my brother tighter than I ever had before, sobbing over everything.  
“Why?” I eventually choked out, and Martyn laughed, somewhat hysterically.  
“No, not because of you. Well, not entirely. Do you remember Daphne?”  
I nodded, and he grinned until I got what he was saying.  
“You...how?”  
He shrugged. “I'm good. Now, decide on what yours will be, and we'll find Dan tomorrow.”  
He left me to think it out on the roof, and I did, thinking through everything I desperately wanted to change. I eventually settled on something, smiling as I returned to the palace to wait until the morning.

The next day, the entire kingdom gathered outside the palace, waiting to hear Martyn and I speak. He went first, since he was the oldest, and made his announcement next to Daphne, who'd been brought in that morning. They looked so happy together that it was sort of nauseating to look at, and yet, I knew exactly how they felt. When it was my turn, I had a mini panic attack, since so many people were staring at me and wondering if I would make their lives worse or better. I started talking, not needing anything to read from because I'd known what I'd wanted from the beginning.  
“The wealth of my family will be spread out among the kingdom, to all of you who have remained so loyal despite the conditions you have been living under for so long. I'd like to give a formal apology to all of you, and assure you that I will do my best as joint ruler of this kingdom to make your lives better.” I had to pause for the thunderous applause that made the ground shake underneath my feet on the balcony, smiling until everyone settled down. I stumbled over my next words, hesitating and looking out over the enormous crowd, wondering if Dan would even be here. “I'd also like for someone and their family to join me in the palace, since they have been a huge influence over what I have said today. Daniel Howell?”  
Silence spread over the crowd, and my heart sank, unable to see anyone moving forward. I waited a few more moments before speaking again, my voice catching. “Dan? Please, if you or your family are here...please.”  
Murmurs spread throughout the crowd, and a small disturbance in the back caught my eye. People were stepping aside to let someone through, and a few minutes later, Dan was standing at the front of the crowd, looking tired and worn out and beautiful, smirking. People applauded and the ceremony was over, and I was running through the palace to the front door, colliding with Dan and crying and hugging him and not letting him go. His family was there as well, and they were speaking to Martyn, leaving Dan and I to each other.  
“Are you okay?” I whispered, and Dan hugged me tighter, nodding but unable to speak. I stepped back, looking at the nasty bruise and cut on his cheek and the bandage that wrapped around his neck. My tears flooded from my eyes again, and Dan held me close, assuring me that he was fine.  
“How did this end up working out?” he asked after a few moments, sounding disbelieving and incredulous. It was my turn to smirk, kissing him deeply before answering.  
“I've been wishing for the stars for a long time, and now I finally have them.”


End file.
